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Godzilla
Godzilla (ゴジラ Gojira) is a daikaiju who first appeared in the 1954 Toho film, Godzilla. The primary focus of his franchise, Godzilla is typically depicted as a giant prehistoric creature awakened or mutated by the advent of the nuclear age. For the early part of the Showa series of films, Godzilla was depicted as a villainous and destructive force of nature, punishing humankind for its use of nuclear weapons, which disturbed and burned him. Over the remainder of the series, Godzilla gradually developed into a heroic character, defending Japan by fending off other more malevolent creatures such as King Ghidorah, many of them extraterrestrial or controlled by extraterrestrials. When Toho revived the franchise in 1984 with The Return of Godzilla, ignoring every film in the series except the original, Godzilla became a menace to Japan and the world once more. The Heisei series saw Godzilla battle some of his foes from the Showa era, such as Mothra and Mechagodzilla, as well as new monsters like Biollante and Destoroyah. Despite his destructive tendencies, this Godzilla incidentally saved humanity from greater evils on occasion. The Heisei series was followed by the Millennium series, an anthology in which nearly every film took place in its own continuity, often connected in some way only to the original 1954 film. Godzilla was often the villain in these films, though in some he was instead an anti-hero similar to the Heisei series. 12 years after the end of the Millennium series, Toho rebooted the franchise again with Shin Godzilla, a completely standalone film in which Godzilla appeared for the first time in modern-day Japan. This Godzilla was a bizarre new species spawned by the dumping of nuclear waste in Tokyo Bay in the 1950's, with the capacity to adapt to any situation by spontaneously mutating his own DNA. Toho introduced a new continuity the following year with the GODZILLA anime trilogy, in which Godzilla successfully drove humanity from the Earth in the 21st century and reshaped the planet in his own image over the next 20,000 years. When refugees from the Aratrum returned to reclaim the planet, they were faced with a Godzilla that had continuously grown and evolved and reached a height of over 300 meters. Outside of the 34 films produced by Toho, Godzilla has starred in two Hollywood adaptations, with two more to come. The first, GODZILLA, was produced by TriStar Pictures in 1998 and became controversial for its radical reinterpretation of the character, which was now an iguana mutated by nuclear testing rather than a prehistoric reptile. The TriStar Godzilla also lacked some of the character's signature traits, such as his atomic breath and invulnerability to military weapons, and gained the ability to asexually reproduce. The second Hollywood adaptation of the franchise, Godzilla, was produced in 2014 by Legendary Pictures, and featured a more traditional interpretation of the titular monster. This film marked the beginning of the MonsterVerse, a shared universe of giant monster films produced by Legendary and distributed by Warner Bros., focusing on Godzilla and King Kong. Godzilla is slated to appear in two more films in the MonsterVerse: Godzilla: King of the Monsters in May, and Godzilla vs. Kong in March of 2020. Overview Name Gojira (ゴジラ) is a portmanteau of the Japanese words: gorira (ゴリラ, "gorilla") and kujira (鯨クジラ, "whale"), which is fitting because in one planning stage, Godzilla was described as "a cross between a gorilla and a whale",[30] alluding to its size, power and aquatic origin. One popular story is that "Gojira" was actually the nickname of a corpulent stagehand at Toho Studio.[31] Kimi Honda, the widow of the director, dismissed this in a 1998 BBC documentary devoted to Godzilla, "The backstage boys at Toho loved to joke around with tall stories".[32] Godzilla's name was written in ateji as Gojira (呉爾羅), where the kanji are used for phonetic value and not for meaning.[citation needed] The Japanese pronunciation of the name is [ɡoꜜdʑiɾa] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ja-Godzilla.ogalisten); the Anglicized form is /ɡɒdˈzɪlə/, with the first syllable pronounced like the word "god" and the rest rhyming with "gorilla". In the Hepburn romanization system, Godzilla's name is rendered as "Gojira", whereas in the Kunrei romanization system it is rendered as "Gozira".[citation needed] Characteristics Within the context of the Japanese films, Godzilla's exact origins vary, but it is generally depicted as an enormous, violent, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation.[34] Although the specific details of Godzilla's appearance have varied slightly over the years, the overall impression has remained consistent.[35] Inspired by the fictional Rhedosaurus created by animator Ray Harryhausen for the film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms,[36] Godzilla's iconic character design was conceived as that of an amphibious reptilian monster based around the loose concept of a dinosaur[37]with an erect standing posture, scaly skin, an anthropomorphic torso with muscular arms, lobed bony plates along its back and tail, and a furrowed brow.[38]Art director Akira Watanabe combined attributes of a Tyrannosaurus, an Iguanodon, a Stegosaurus and an alligator[39] to form a sort of blended chimera, inspired by illustrations from an issue of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_(magazine) Life] magazine.[40] To emphasise the monster's relationship with the atomic bomb, its skin texture was inspired by the keloid scars seen on survivors in Hiroshima.[41] The basic design has a reptilian visage, a robust build, an upright posture, a long tail and three rows of serrated plates along the back. In the original film, the plates were added for purely aesthetic purposes, in order to further differentiate Godzilla from any other living or extinct creature. Godzilla is sometimes depicted as green in comics, cartoons and movie posters, but the costumes used in the movies were usually painted charcoal grey with bone-white dorsal plates up until the film Godzilla 2000.[42] Godzilla's signature weapon is its "atomic heat beam", nuclear energy that it generates inside of its body and unleashes from its jaws in the form of a blue or red radioactive beam.[43] Toho's special effects department has used various techniques to render the beam, from physical gas-powered flames[44] to hand-drawn or computer-generated fire. Godzilla is shown to possess immense physical strength and muscularity. Haruo Nakajima, the actor who played Godzilla in the original films, was a black belt in judo and used his expertise to choreograph the battle sequences.[45] Godzilla can breathe underwater[43] and is described in the original film by the character Dr. Yamane as a transitional form between a marine and a terrestrial reptile. Godzilla is shown to have great vitality: it is immune to conventional weaponry thanks to its rugged hide and ability to regenerate[46] and as a result of surviving a nuclear explosion, it cannot be destroyed by anything less powerful. Various films, television shows, comics and games have depicted Godzilla with additional powers, such as an atomic pulse,[47] magnetism,[48] precognition,[49] fireballs,[50] an electric bite,[51] superhuman speed,[52] eye beams[53] and even flight.[54] Godzilla's allegiance and motivations have changed from film to film to suit the needs of the story. Although Godzilla does not like humans,[55] it will fight alongside humanity against common threats. However, it makes no special effort to protect human life or property[56] and will turn against its human allies on a whim. It is not motivated to attack by predatory instinct: it does not eat people[57] and instead sustains itself on nuclear radiation[58] and an omnivorous diet.[59] When inquired if Godzilla was "good or bad", producer Shogo Tomiyama likened it to a Shinto "God of Destruction" which lacks moral agency and cannot be held to human standards of good and evil. "He totally destroys everything and then there is a rebirth. Something new and fresh can begin."[57] In the original Japanese films, Godzilla and all the other monsters are referred to with gender-neutral pronouns equivalent to "it",[61] while in the English dubbed versions, Godzilla is explicitly described as a male, such as in the title of Godzilla, King of the Monsters!. The creature in the 1998 Godzilla film was depicted laying eggs through parthenogenesis.[62][63][64] Roar Godzilla has a distinctive disyllabic roar (transcribed in several comics as Skreeeonk!),[65][66] which was created by composer Akira Ifukube, who produced the sound by rubbing a pine-tar-resin-coated glove along the string of a contrabass and then slowing down the playback.[67] In the American version of Godzilla Raids Again (1955) entitled Gigantis the Fire Monster, Godzilla's iconic roar was substituted with that of the monster Anguirus.[33] From The Return of Godzilla (1984) to Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Godzilla was given a deeper and more threatening-sounding roar than in previous films, though this change was reverted from Godzilla vs. Mothra(1992) onwards.[68] For the 2014 American film, sound editors Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl refused to disclose the source of the sounds used for their Godzilla's roar.[67] Aadahl described the two syllables of the roar as representing two different emotional reactions, with the first expressing fury and the second conveying the character's soul.[69] Size Godzilla's size is inconsistent, changing from film to film, and even from scene to scene, for the sake of artistic license.[57] The miniature sets and costumes were typically built at a 1⁄25–1⁄50 scale[70] and filmed at 240 frames per second to create the illusion of great size.[71] In the original 1954 film, Godzilla was scaled to be 50 m (164 ft) tall.[72] This was done so Godzilla could just peer over the largest buildings in Tokyo at the time.[2] In the 1956 American version, Godzilla is estimated to be 122 m (400 ft) tall, because producer Joseph E. Levine felt that 50 m did not sound "powerful enough".[73] As the series progressed Toho would rescale the character, eventually making Godzilla as tall as 100 m (328 ft).[74] This was done so that it would not be dwarfed by the newer, bigger buildings in Tokyo's skyline, such as the 243-meter-tall (797 ft) Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building which Godzilla destroyed in the film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). Supplementary information, such as character profiles, would also depict Godzilla as weighing between 20,000 and 60,000 metric tons (22,000 and 66,000 short tons).[72][74] In the American film Godzilla (2014) from Legendary Pictures, Godzilla was scaled to be 108.2 m (355 ft) and weighing 90,000 metric tons (99,000 short tons), making it the largest film version at that time.[75] Director Gareth Edwards wanted Godzilla "to be so big as to be seen from anywhere in the city, but not too big that he couldn't be obscured".[76] For Shin Godzilla (2016), Godzilla was made even taller than the Legendary version, at 118.5 m (389 ft).[77][78] Design Specific details of Godzilla's appearance have changed between films over the years, but many defining details have endured. In the Japanese films, Godzilla is depicted as a gigantic, bipedal reptilian creature with rough, bumpy, usually charcoal gray scales with a keloid scar or tree bark-like texture, a fairly small head with prominent eyebrow-like ridges over the eyes, moderately long, humanoid arms with four fingers including an opposable thumb, thick, muscular legs, a long, powerful, segmented tail, and three rows of generally bone-white dorsal plates, usually shaped like maple leaves, though there are some designs whose traits may differ. Godzilla origins vary somewhat from film to film, but he is almost always described as a prehistoric creature, and his first attacks on Japan are linked to the beginning of the Atomic Age. In particular, mutation due to atomic radiation is presented as an explanation for his great size and strange powers. Godzilla's iconic design is often said to be composed of a mixture of traits from various species of dinosaurs. To be specific, he has the body and overall shape of a pre-1990's reconstruction of a Tyrannosaurus rex or Allosaurus, the long arms and "thumbs" of an Iguanodon, and the dorsal plates of a Stegosaurus. Special effects details Godzilla's appearance has traditionally been portrayed in the films by an actor wearing a latex costume, though the character has also been rendered in animatronic, stop-motion and computer-generated form.[79][80] Taking inspiration from King Kong, special effects artist Eiji Tsuburaya had initially wanted Godzilla to be portrayed via stop-motion, but prohibitive deadlines and a lack of experienced animators in Japan at the time made suitmation more practical. The first suit consisted of a body cavity made of thin wires and bamboo wrapped in chicken wire for support and covered in fabric and cushions, which were then coated in latex. The first suit was held together by small hooks on the back, though subsequent Godzilla suits incorporated a zipper. Its weight was in excess of 100 kg (220 lb).[42] Prior to 1984, most Godzilla suits were made from scratch, thus resulting in slight design changes in each film appearance.[81] The most notable changes during the 1960s-70s were the reduction in Godzilla's number of toes and the removal of the character's external ears and prominent fangs, features which would later be reincorporated in the Godzilla designs from The Return of Godzilla (1984) onward.[82]The most consistent Godzilla design was maintained from Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), when the suit was given a cat-like face and double rows of teeth.[83] Several suit actors had difficulties in performing as Godzilla, due to the suits' weight, lack of ventilation and diminished visibility.[42] Kenpachiro Satsuma in particular, who portrayed Godzilla from 1984 to 1995, described how the Godzilla suits he wore were even heavier and hotter than their predecessors because of the incorporation of animatronics.[84] Satsuma himself suffered numerous medical issues during his tenure, including oxygen deprivation, near-drowning, concussions, electric shocks and lacerations to the legs from the suits' steel wire reinforcements wearing through the rubber padding.[85] The ventilation problem was partially solved in the suit used in 1994's Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, which was the first to include an air duct, which allowed suit actors to last longer during performances.[86] In The Return of Godzilla (1984), some scenes made use of a 16-foot high robotic Godzilla (dubbed the "Cybot Godzilla") for use in close-up shots of the creature's head. The Cybot Godzilla consisted of a hydraulically-powered mechanical endoskeleton covered in urethane skin containing 3,000 computer operated parts which permitted it to tilt its head and move its lips and arms.[87] In Godzilla (1998), special effects artist Patrick Tatopoulos was instructed to redesign Godzilla as an incredibly fast runner.[88] At one point, it was planned to use motion capture from a human to create the movements of the computer-generated Godzilla, but it was said to have ended up looking too much like a man in a suit.[89] Tatopoulos subsequently reimagined the creature as a lean, digitigrade bipedal iguana-like creature that stood with its back and tail parallel to the ground, rendered via CGI.[90] Several scenes had the monster portrayed by stuntmen in suits. The suits were similar to those used in the Toho films, with the actors' heads being located in the monster's neck region, and the facial movements controlled via animatronics. However, because of the creature's horizontal posture, the stuntmen had to wear metal leg extenders, which allowed them to stand two meters (six feet) off the ground with their feet bent forward. The film's special effects crew also built a 1⁄6 scale animatronic Godzilla for close-up scenes, whose size outmatched that of Stan Winston's T. rex in Jurassic Park.[91] Kurt Carley performed the suitmation sequences for the adult Godzilla.[12] In Godzilla (2014), the character was portrayed entirely via CGI. Godzilla's design in the reboot was intended to stay true to that of the original series, though the film's special effects team strove to make the monster "more dynamic than a guy in a big rubber suit."[92] To create a CG version of Godzilla, the Moving Picture Company (MPC) studied various animals such as bears, Komodo dragons, lizards, lions and gray wolves which helped the visual effects artists visualize Godzilla's body structure like that of its underlying bone, fat and muscle structure as well as the thickness and texture of its scale.[93] Motion capture was also used for some of Godzilla's movements. T.J. Storm provided the performance capture for Godzilla by wearing sensors in front of a green screen.[14] In Shin Godzilla, a majority of the character was portrayed via CGI, with Mansai Nomura portraying Godzilla through motion capture.[11] Gallery Godzilla Designs ShodaiGoji.jpg|ShodaiGoji (初代ゴジ) GyakushuGoji.jpg|GyakushuGoji (逆襲ゴジ GyakushūGoji) KingGoji.jpg|KingGoji (キンゴジ Kingoji) MosuGoji.jpg|MosuGoji (モスゴジ) DaisensoGoji.jpg|DaisensoGoji (大戦争ゴジ) MusukoGoji.jpg|MusukoGoji (息子ゴジ) SoshingekiGoji.jpg|SoshingekiGoji (総進撃ゴジ) MegaroGoji.jpg|MegaroGoji (メガロゴジ) 84Goji.jpg|84Goji (84ゴジ) BioGoji.jpg|BioGoji (ビオゴジ) BatoGoji.jpg|BatoGoji (バトゴジ) RadoGoji.jpg|RadoGoji (ラドゴジ) MogeGoji.jpg|MogeGoji (モゲゴジ) ToraGoji.jpg|ToraGoji (トラゴジ Toragoji) MireGoji.jpg|MireGoji (ミレゴジ) GMKGoji.jpg|GMKGoji (ＧＭＫゴジ JīemukeiGoji) KiryuGoji.jpg|KiryuGoji (機龍ゴジ KiryūGoji)/SOSGoji (ＳＯＳゴジ EsuŌEsuGoji) FinalGoji.jpg|FinalGoji (ファイナルゴジ FainaruGoji) Third Street Godzilla.jpg|Third Street Godzilla (三丁目ゴジラ Sanchōme Gojira) GareGoji.png|GareGoji (ギャレゴジ GyareGoji) ShinGoji.jpg|ShinGoji (シンゴジ ShinGoji) AniGoji.png|AniGoji (アニゴジ AniGoji) DougheGoji.png|DougheGoji (ドハゴジ DohaGoji) Godzilla Incarnations ShodaiGoji.jpg|First Generation Godzilla (初代ゴジラ Shodai Gojira) Godzilla (Showa).jpg|Second Generation Godzilla (二代目ゴジラ Nidaime Gojira) Godzilla (Heisei).jpg|Third Generation Godzilla (三代目ゴジラ Sandaime Gojira) MogeGoji.jpg|Powered-up Third Generation Godzilla (パワーアップした三代目ゴジラ Pawāappu Shita Sandaime Gojira) DesuGoji.png|Burning Godzilla (バーニングゴジラ Bāningu Gojira) ToraGoji.jpg|Zilla Millennium Godzilla.jpg|Millennium Godzilla (ミレニアムゴジラ Mireniamu Gojira) MireGoji.jpg|Godzilla 2000 GMKGoji.jpg|GMK Godzilla (ＧＭＫゴジラ Jī Emu Kei Gojira) KiryuGoji.jpg|Kiryu Saga Godzilla FinalGoji.jpg|Final Godzilla (ファイナルゴジラ Fainaru Gojira) DougheGoji.png|MonsterVerse Godzilla SG - Godzilla 1st Form.png|Godzilla First Form (ゴジラ第一形態 Gojira Dai Ichi Keitai) Shin Godzilla 2nd Form CG Model Full Body.png|Godzilla Second Form (ゴジラ第二形態 Gojira Dai Ni Keitai) Shin Godzilla 3rd Form CG Model Full Body.png|Godzilla Third Form (ゴジラ第三形態 Gojira Dai San Keitai) Shin Godzilla 4th Form CG Model Full Body.png|Godzilla Fourth Form (ゴジラ第四形態 Gojira Dai Shi Keitai) Shin Godzilla - Godzilla Humanoids.jpg|Godzilla Fifth Form (ゴジラ第五形態 Gojira Dai Go Keitai) Godzilla Planet of the Monsters Godzilla Filius Turning.png|Godzilla Filius (ゴジラ・フィリウス Gojira Firiusu) Godzilla Earth infobox.png|Godzilla Earth (ゴジラ・アース Gojira Āsu) Others Godzillasaurus.jpg|Godzillasaurus Category:Godzilla Characters Category:Reptiles Category:Dinosaurs Category:Iguanas Category:Marine Animals Category:Heroes Category:Giants Category:Fictional Dinosaurs Category:Fictional Giants Category:Fictional Mass Murderers Category:Fictional Monsters Category:Fictional Mutants Category:Fictional Telepaths Category:Kaiju Category:Toho Monsters Category:Black Category:White Spikes Category:Silent characters Category:Villainesses